Slovenia is a small country which was a part of former Yugoslavia. You can reach any part of this beautiful country within 2 hours of driving from the capital city of Ljubljana. Slovenia has gorgeous landscapes consisting of Julian alps, dense forests, emerald rivers , Adriatic sea, vine valleys and green farms! There is so much to explore an enjoy in Slovenia!
Read on to find out how you can plan a trip to this magical place on your own.
Day 1 - Ljubljana
Day 2 - Ljubljana
Day 3 - Postojna Cave and Predjama castle
Day 4 - Bled lake
Day 5 - Vintgar gorge and lake Bohinj
Day 6 - Logar valley
Day 7- Logar valley
Day 8- head home
If short on time, you can consider day trips to Bled and Vintgar gorge from Ljubljana. If you have more than 7 days, consider including coastal towns of Piran and exploring the Soca river valley.
Day 1 and 2 - Ljubljana
You can directly fly into the city of Ljubljana or reach here by train from larger and well connected cities like Vienna. Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia. It is a relatively small city and can be easily explored on foot. Head to the Ljubljana castle first. Located right in the heart of the city, you can walk up a small hill to reach the castle. Enjoy a snack and drink and admire the view of the city at sunset.
The next day, take a walk along the Ljubljanica river, visit the Preseren square, Triple bridge and Dragon Bridge and enjoy a meal along the many river side cafes.
Day 3 - Postojna Cave and Predjama castle
About an hour drive away the Postojna cave and a little further away, Predjama castle make for the perfect day trip from Ljubljana. Postojna caves are an impressive circuit of caves that you navigate sometimes on a train and at times on foot. The guide explains in detail about the caves - how they were formed and how they are preserved. The entire visit should take around 3 hours.
Afterwards head to the largest cave castle in the world - Predjama castle.
If time permits, you can drive to the costal city of Piran. We were short on time so could not visit Piran. Also if you have an extra day, consider spending time in the Vipava valley region of Slovenia, which is famous for its Vineyards.
Day 4 - Bled lake
Lake Bled is a gorgeous destination, located about an hours drive from the capital city of Ljubljana. The first day, you can take your time exploring the Lake and take a walk along the lake which is about a 6 to 7 km circuit. You can take a boat ride to the island in the middle of the lake. You can also hike up Mala Osojinica for some amazing views of Lake Bled. There are several nice restaurants and cafes in the Bled city center. Visit the Bled castle. If travelling with kids, make sure to ride the Toboggan at Straza Bled.
No trip to Bled is complete without spending some time swimming at the lake or at the waterfront and enjoying a slice of delicious Bled cake.
There are many accommodation options available in Bled, however we chose to stay on a tourist farm! And we loved our stay!
Day 5 - Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bohinj
Head to Vintgar gorge to explore this beautiful Gorge carved by Radovna river with its striking emerald green waters! This location is truly magical and one of its kind. One important tip - reach early to avoid the crowds. In the afternoon, you can either head to Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled .
Day 6 and 7- Logar valley
Drive to the beautiful Logar valley (Logarska Dolina). This region of Slovenia is not as popular with tourists as Ljubljana or Lake Bled, so this provides the perfect spot to spend some quiet time with your family, relax and rejuvenate.
There are several farm stays in the region, we chose to stay in a gorgeous one overlooking the Robanav cot. The first day, we recommend just relaxing and enjoying the cool clean alpine air, explore the farm and enjoy a delicious farm to table meal!
The next day, drive to Logar valley and hike to Rinka waterfall . You can also rent mountain bikes in this region to explore on your own. Later have dinner at a restaurant located at the Logar valley.
Slovenia is a beautiful country with helpful, friendly locals!
Plan a trip to Slovenia and you will want to come back for more!
Happy travels!
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